The Savannah tribune. [volume] (Savannah [Ga.]) 1876-1960, 1887-01-22
ROBERT EVAN sROUL.
HANGED AND THEN PROVED TO
BE INNOCENT.
Oa tho SeniTOId He is N0tiE ed that Me il IL eir
to IA EOrtune-DOmage suit.

10 u E0rthue-DusuA &e SGAt.
For the six months preceding the 2Sth
day Of September, 1885, there was
throughout British Columbia, and indeed
throughout the Dominion of Canada, the
greatest interest felt in the case OF Rob
ert Evan Sproul, then under sentence Of
death at Victoria, b. c., for murder. 1t
was case OF life OF death with the ac-
cused, and being an American citizen,
and that government being impressed
with his innocence, taking every possible
legal action to prevent the hanging Of
the condemned, tended to create mole
than ordinary interest in each step Of the
proceedings which were then going on.
Robert Evan Sproul was a miner who
had moved to Canada from Kennebec
county, Me-, in 1880 He was the part
owner of one of the richest mines in the
KOotenary district OF British Columbia
On the LIST day of January, 1886, one
Thomas Hammel, also a miner and part
owner of the SpTOul claim, was killed,
and suspicion pointed TO the accused
Sproul as the guilty man. He was AT
rested and charged with the offense, but
stOutly maintained his innocence, and on
his trial. which was had at Victoria, B.
O., endeayored to prove an alibi, but
failed After the trial his counsel alleged
certain Irregularities in the hearing,
among which was the description Of
the court, but the provincial supreme
court sustained the decision Of the lower
court Five respites however were
granted the condemned man by the gov
erRment, and at last he was hanged by
order of the minister of justice, who re-
fused to interfere, although urged to do
so by Mayor Fell aud some five hundred
residents of Victoria, az we'll as by the
secretary of state of the United States.
After the. trial, the chief witness for
the prosecution, one Charles Wolfe, made
an affidavit in due form that the evidence
given by him at the trial was false, and
the American counsel at Victoria reported
to the lieutenant governor of British Col
umbia that after the investigation he be
iieved the prisoner to be innocent Not
Withstanding the order of the highest
court in Canada. SprOul was hanged on
the 26th Of September. He maintained
his innocence on the gallOws. Now
witness whom he could not procure on
his trial has turned up in San Francisco,
and in order to satisfy the relatives of
Sproul that he had been hanged for a
crime Of which he was innocent, Beatty
went before a judge of competent juris-
diction and made an affidavit that he was
with Sproul from eight O'Clock in the
evening of the 31st of May, 1885, until
half past six of the night following, and,
moreover, that they were at least fifteen
miles from the scene of the crime AS
the murder was committed between these
hours, according to the prosecution, this
disposes of the theory that the accused
SprOul did the deed.
This affidavit has been filed with the
Secretary of State. Acting on the advice
of Counsel Frank Sproul, brother of the
deceased and administrator on his estate,
has begun action against the Province Of
British Columbia for $50, 900 damages on
account of the illegal hanging.
One strange thing in connection with
the affair is, that four days before the cx
cution, friend Of the prisoner died in
Boston bequeathing him $780, 900, which
was not made known to the condemned
man until he walked OUT on the gallows.